News Impacting Southern Vancouver Island Business
VICTORIA
Justin Schley
Justin Schley has assumed the position of head of Quality Foods, succeeding Noel Hayward following his retirement at the end of 2023. Schley was previously CFO. His father Ken Schley founded Qualicum Foods with John Briuolo and Noel Hayward in 1982. A few years later in 1986, Bruce Robertson joined the company as a partner, and they opened the first Quality Foods location. In 2017, the Jim Pattison Group purchased Quality Foods. The chain is now part of the Pattison Food Group.
Georgina Covey has recently joined Terra Archaeology Limited as a new Staff Archaeologist.
Chris Weitzel has been appointed Senior Managing Director of the Fixed Income & Foreign Exchange (FIFE) team at BCI.
Manarap Popli has been hired as Assistant Instructor at Engineering for Kids Vancouver Island.
Vanessa Lloyd, co-owner of LLoyd Maltby Design Inc., has joined the Rotary Club of Victoria Harbourside.
Tug Eatery‘s lunch specials will be available at Refuge Tap Room‘s pop-up lunch starting on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Capital Regional Emergency Services Transmission (CREST) general manager Gord Horth estimates that the public safety building, which will be constructed in Langford, will cost approximately $20 million and be situated near the Costco on the West Shore.
A new Young Adult Mental Health Unit at Royal Jubilee Hospital is providing specialized and age-appropriate care for young adults experiencing acute mental health challenges. The reconfigured, 16 bed unit opened November 20, 2023, in a phased manner which allowed existing patients to complete their hospital stays.
The initial stage of the $303.9 million redevelopment of the Belleville Terminal, which serves as a passageway for passengers connecting Victoria and the United States via the FRS Clipper and Coho vessel, has commenced construction.
Cheryl Wirch-Ryckman
Cheryl Wirch-Ryckman, Managing Director for Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce for twelve years, has completed her invaluable work and is now ready to enter semi-retirement from her position at the Victoria Golf Club.
Hermann’s Jazz Club complex and business assets at 751-753 View Street have been acquired by the City of Victoria.
Walmart Canada is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Canada.
Together with Lauren Richard from Toronto and David Cole from Winnipeg, Joe Wiebe, a resident of Victoria, will serve as the Canada’s Beer Cup event’s MC and judge.
Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce welcomes its newest members, Experience Victoria, Property Rights BC, The Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver (EFry), and Festilight Decor Inc.
The Tourism Industry Association of BC (TIABC) welcomes its new member, Huntingdon Manor Hotel & Suites.
The Victoria West Community Association has been the recipient of a $3,000 grant from the Coastal Community Credit Union.
Destination Greater Victoria celebrates its 50th founding anniversary.
Six electric semi-trucks are en route to Sysco Corp’s Langford headquarters to deliver supplies to food service businesses in Greater Victoria. Later this year, Sysco Corp will begin operating eCascadia zero emission trucks on routes throughout the Capital.
Carreira the Studio, located north of West End Galley on Broad Street between View and Yates streets, has recently announced that its salon will be closing in April after 30 years of operation.
Heather Stewart
Engel & Volkers Vancouver Island is pleased to announce the addition of Kathy Daniel, Kaitlan Brun, and Heather Stewart to its real estate team
The Enactus team from Camosun College won first place at the Calgary regional competition on March 14 and 15, 2024. In the Alumni Innovation and Impact Challenge category, the social enterprise team impressed the evaluators with their meal kit project that addressed food insecurity on campus while remaining socially relevant.
Tickets for the second annual Bacon Beer and Bourbon Festival go on sale on March 27 and will take place at Starlight Stadium on July 22.
The 11th annual 30 Under 30 competition hosted by BC Business honours young leaders with the following awards this year:
- Liam Adams Manager, cybersecurity, PwC
- Prishita Agarwal and Abhiudai Mishra, Co-founders, Mosa Technologies
- Daniel Azad, CEO, Premier Cloud Inc.
- Eve Bennett, Founder and CEO, MeepMeep
- Alex Chan and Gavin Cheung, Co-founders, MotionGrey
- Jeanne Chen, Founder, Ripple Marketing, and partner, The Global Xchange
- Ryan Ching, Co-founder and co-CEO, Vision2Reality Foundation
- Jastej Choong and Prab Mangat, Co-founders, com
- Manvir Deol, Managing partner, Plan Your Space
- Olivia Evans, Investment advisor, Canaccord Genuity Cash Management Group
- Sean Fox, Founder, Fox Group; co-founder and COO, Ovis Group
- LiLi Gao, Co-founder and COO, One Up Party
- Tevon Gill and Brydon March, Co-founders and managing partners, MAG Security Systems and MAG Solar
- Chloe Goodison, Founder and executive director, NaloxHome Society
- Taylor Hui, Founder and executive director, BeaYOUtiful Foundation
- Matthew Hussey, Founder and lead strategist, Generosity X
- Carissa Konesky, E-learning coordinator, ShEvalesco
- Alex Lee, Co-founder and director, Blue Gentian Capital
- Brigitte Leong-Chung, Co-owner and operations director, Culturally Defined
- Jacobo Lopez Chavez, Vice-president of finance and operations, Black Tusk Research Group; co-founder, Arc Biosystems
- Gabrielle Mustapich, Co-founder, Pilothouse Brands
- Sofiia Salimova, Founder and CEO, In Her Wallet
- Esteban Sanchez, Co-founder and CTO, Commutifi
- Lauren Sudeyko, Founder, Seray
- Julie Wang, Founder, CEO and lead strategist, Tiny Planet Digital
- Julian Wells, Co-founder and principal, Student Housing Initiative
Jaclin Trstenjak has recently been hired as Engineering Technician II at District of Saanich.
Peter Hayman
Peter Hayman has been named the new head of the Film and Media Commission for Vancouver Island South.
A new initiative has been introduced by the Saanich Peninsula Environmental Coalition (SPEC) with the purpose of overseeing the execution of environmental principles: Check Up!
Saanich council has ordered staff to draft a bylaw change to decrease most residential construction forms’ parking requirements to one slot per unit.
Lt.-Col. Eric Kenny, the commander of the Royal Canadian Air Forces (RCAF), will be the honoured guest at a black-tie gala hosted by the British Columbia Aviation Museum to commemorate the 100th anniversary since the RCAF was established on April 1, 1924.
The newly constructed clubhouse at Jordie Lunn Bike Park in Langford will be the site of Rhino Coffee House‘s second Langford location.
The District of Sooke has appointed Rachael Grey, who has been serving as Director of Financial Services for the past two years, as their new Chief Administrative Officer.
Over a thousand Indigenous youth gathered at Gathering Our Voices on March 20 and 21, and as part of the event, Esquimalt Fire Rescue and the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society of BC hosted a firefighting workshop. The event aimed to introduce First Nation youth to the possibility of a career in firefighting through various ceremonies, seminars, and educational experiences.
Burger Crush, the new burger joint is opening a new location at 1901 Sooke Rd. in Colwood in late April.
Cascadia Seaweed is looking for a qualified Director of Agricultural Products to develop a strategic framework for the biostimulant and agrifeed product market launch.
The 97-home Cedarwood Inn & Suites redevelopment in Sidney, which includes a modest commercial component to replace the motel at 9522 Lochside Drive, opposite Tulista Park, has received approval.
Jacks On The Water, downtown Sidney’s newest restaurant is set to open on March 29th, located at 9881 Seaport Pl.
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